Red Bulls Fall to Impact 3-1 at Stade Saputo

July 28, 20125:38 AM EDT

MONTREAL, QC (July 28, 2012) – Thierry Henry scored his 11th goal of the season, but the New York Red Bulls dropped a 3-1 road decision to the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo in front of a sellout crowd of 19,441 Saturday night. The loss kept the first place Red Bulls at 38 points off an 11-6-5 record.

New York maintained its hold atop the Eastern Conference with a one-point lead over Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo. The Red Bulls will play home-and-home in consecutive weeks against the Dynamo starting Friday, Aug. 3 at BBVA Compass Stadium in their next MLS match at 8:00 PM ET (TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: WLIB 1190 AM).

The Red Bulls had a prime opportunity to take the lead in the 12th minute. After Connor Lade was fouled, Henry’s ensuing free kick was flicked on frame by Kenny Cooper. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts parried the shot in front of his net and New York defender Markus Holgersson got to it first, hitting the rebound over the crossbar. Nine minutes later, Impact defender Jeb Brovsky put Justin Mapp through on the left wing and Mapp’s right-footed attempt was blocked by Red Bulls goalkeeper Bill Gaudette at the near post.

New York knocked on the door again in the 33th minute. First, Cooper got to a loose ball in the box first and Ricketts made a sprawling stop to deny the New York striker’s shot. After the ball was initially cleared, Sebastien Le Toux got his head to an in-swinger and barely missed the target. On the other end, Gaudette again came up trumps for the visitors, deflecting a Davy Arnaud blast out of harm’s way.

The Impact took the lead three minutes into the second half. Felipe Martins slid it to Mapp at the top of the box and the Impact midfielder picked his head up before finding Marco Di Vaio on the left side. Di Vaio controlled the pass and slotted it into the back of the net.

Arnaud doubled the hosts’ lead less than two minutes later. Martins flicked the ball over the Red Bulls back line to an onside Arnaud, who ripped it off a diving Gaudette and in.

Henry pulled one back for the Red Bulls in the 57th minute. Roy Miller slipped it on the left wing to Joel Lindpere and the Estonian’s cross found its way to the back post to Henry. Henry brought it down with his right foot and hit it over Ricketts.

Montreal sealed the result by taking a 3-1 advantage with 16 minutes to play. Di Vaio passed it to Martins at the top of the 18-yard box and the Impact player hit a through pass to Sanna Nyassi. Nyassi was able to round an on-rushing Gaudette and put it home from an acute angle.

Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty picked up a yellow card Saturday and is suspended for the team’s next MLS match at Houston due to card accumulation.

New York’s next home match is against English Premiership side, Tottenham Hotspur, on Tuesday, July 31 at 7:00 PM (TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes). Tickets are on sale for the match by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.